I've set up Linux Mint on an external USB drive for dual booting with Windows 11 on my laptop. While I can read and write to my internal SSD and HDD, Mint treats them as external devices, which is problematic for using software like Steam. I've added my internal D drive as a storage location in Steam, and while I can install games there, they won't run when I try to play them in Mint. Additionally, Keepass forgets database files stored on D drive after I close the program, but it remembers files on Mint's home drive. I'm wondering if this is a common issue with dual-boot setups, especially running Mint from USB. Can anyone help me troubleshoot this?
2 Answers
The issue you're facing is likely due to how NTFS drives are mounted in Linux. When using NTFS, you need to ensure it's mounted with the right options, especially for gaming. If you check your /etc/fstab file, you might need to add specific mount options like `uid=1000,gid=1000,rw,user,exec`. Using NTFS for Steam games isn't the best idea, as it can lead to problems with file permissions and corruption. Just a heads up!
I'm not familiar with what an /etc/fstab entry is. Is that complicated?
Running games off an NTFS drive in Linux can indeed be tricky. Even if they install, launching them may fail due to how the permissions work. I'd recommend looking into the compatibility layer like Proton that Steam has for running Windows games on Linux, but first, make sure your NTFS drive is set up correctly in the system. A native Linux filesystem for your game installs would be much more reliable.
Thanks for the tips! I'll see about switching to a Linux-friendly filesystem if I can.
Yeah, I've heard NTFS can be a cause for issues like that. Why not try using a dedicated Linux filesystem for your games? It might help avoid these kinds of headaches.